A Birthday Surprise
by Optimisticat
Summary: Hi everyone! Okay, this is a story written as a belated Birthday gift for my BFFF ILoveCrimes. Basically, it's about a surprise party that the team has planned for one of our favorite characters, McGee. I hope that everyone enjoys! Reviews are more than welcome! :D
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any of its characters. *Sobs* but that's okay. **

**Author's Note:** _Hi everyone! I'm back! Did ya miss me? Just kidding. Okay, just so that all of you nice people know, this story is dedicated to and written for my BFFF "ILoveCrimes" as a very belated birthday gift. (Jane, I'm sooo sorry that this is late! I believe that this has been long overdue. I hope that you like it!)_

_Also, I would like to say thank you to everyone who is reading my current story "Missing McGee" and that I am still working on it. I have not forgotten it! That story is a work in progress, and I am very busy typing away at chapter 16. Second of all, I will not be on FanFiction for about two or three weeks following this Wednesday. I have a friend who I haven't seen in 3 years flying out from the East Coast to visit me during that time, and then I'll fly out to the East Coast to visit with her for a week. Then I'll come back here. Yay! Without further ado, I present to you a short, sweet 10-chapter NCIS fan fiction,_

A Birthday Surprise

Chapter 1

What's special about today?

McGee calmly drove to work early on a Monday morning, just as he would do on any other normal day. There was nothing out of the ordinary today, nope. Nothing to be excited about at all.

"_Except for the fact that today just happens to be my birthday,"_ he thought.

"_I wonder if anyone will notice that it's my birthday today. Abby remembered it last year, and so did Ziva. But I doubt that anyone else will remember. I'll go to work like normal, and act casual. Only one day out of the entire year. All it means is that I'm another year older, but hey! I'd rather be another year older, alive and well instead of being dead!"_

As McGee walked into the bullpen, he partially expected Tony or Ziva to walk up to him and greet him with a "Happy Birthday, McOneYearOld!" or even a simple "Happy Day of Birth, Tim." But he seriously doubted that they even knew when his birthday was. And even if they did know, they probably wouldn't make a big deal out of it or do anything out of the ordinary. That was okay with him, though. He wouldn't allow himself to have a bad day simply because it was his birthday and no one did anything about it.

As Tim walked towards his desk, he thought about Tony, Ziva, and Gibbs' birthdays.

Each year Tony would act like a 5-year old and make sure that everyone knew it was his birthday. He would brag about it to the entire world. And every time Tony's birthday rolled around, McGee would give Tony some sort of gift and leave it on his desk amongst the other presents, signing it as "An anonymous person who wishes you a happy birthday." For the last five years, Tony hadn't been able to figure out who kept giving him the gifts signed under "Anonymous." It made McGee laugh every time he thought about it.

He did the same thing for Ziva, leaving gifts on her desk when it was her birthday, but he made sure that his gifts were a little more personal. Last year, McGee gave her a simple poem about how much her friendship meant to him, and left it on her desk signed, "Happy Birthday, from a friend. Thank you for your friendship. It is one of the greatest gifts of all." After he had seen Ziva's reaction to the poem, McGee knew that all of the long hours of thought and typing he had put into it was worth the effort.

Ziva was smart. She didn't have to guess who had given the meaningful poem to her on her birthday, of all days. When she had finished reading the neatly typed paper in her hands, she lifted her head and made direct eye contact with McGee from across the room, then smiled and whispered a barely audible "thank you". It was the best form of thanks that he could have received.

As for Gibbs… well, McGee didn't really know what he could buy for his boss, aside from a bottle of bourbon, but that would have been a simple gift that anyone could have given to him, not a personal gift like Ziva's was. Since he couldn't bring himself to buy a cheap bottle of bourbon, McGee did something else instead- he went and visited Gibbs at his basement on his birthday, after he had finished with his day at work. If Gibbs had been genuinely surprised at seeing Tim, visiting him in his basement, for the third time in…nine years?, then he had a good way of hiding his surprise.

Mustering up his courage, McGee walked up to Gibbs' back door and knocked on it, already knowing that it was open.

"Door's open," came Gibbs' gruff response from where he was working down below. He could think of only one person who would care to knock first before entering, and if he had to guess, that person knocking on his door right now would be Tim.

Timidly, McGee opened the door and entered Gibbs' basement. He walked down half of the stairs, then stopped and sat down on the fourth stair from the floor.

"Hello, Boss."

"Evenin', McGee."

"Is this a good time for me to talk with you?" McGee asked, a little hesitantly.

"It's as good as any, McGee. What's on your mind?"

After hearing Gibbs' response, McGee started talking immediately afterwards.

McGee didn't know what exactly he could talk about, but he figured that Gibbs wouldn't mind if he talked to him about the time when he went fishing as a child with his grandfather, watching as sailboats came and went. After McGee finished telling his story, it didn't take long before both men were talking with each other about various topics, ranging from boats to childhood memories. Everyone had been a child once, including Gibbs.

For what felt like the first time in ages, Gibbs had been able to bring up several of his favorite childhood memories that he hadn't remembered in years. To him, it felt good to talk about his favorite memories as a child to someone who truly enjoyed listening.

Time passed by quickly, much to McGee's dismay, and when his watch read 11:30 p.m., he politely excused himself and left. But before he walked out the door, he turned around and said, "Happy Birthday, Boss. And thank you for your time." Then he left. McGee had seen Gibbs' brief smirk when he wished him a happy birthday. That smirk had been worth his all of his original unease and awkwardness. McGee made a silent vow to himself that he would visit Gibbs in his basement on his birthday from then on.

Back to the present…*(Pun intended!)* When McGee arrived in the Bullpen, he was surprised to see that it was totally empty. Ziva and Tony were nowhere to be found. "Well this is strange," he thought.

When he walked up to his desk, he was even more surprised to see several wrapped packages waiting for him. Upon closer examination, McGee saw tags with his name on the packages, so obviously they were addressed to him. Were those packages actually presents for him? If they were, then who put them on his desk? Who sent them to him? McGee hadn't let anyone on the team know that it was his birthday today. He thought that his birthday wasn't really worth mentioning. His birthday wasn't important to anyone except for Sarah, Penny, his mother and himself. McGee didn't know whether he should open the packages or not. What if they contained a bomb, or some sort of deadly virus? After Tony's incident with the Black Plague, he wasn't going to take any chances. He decided to call Gibbs.

"Gibbs," Gibbs answered on the second ring. "What is it?"

"Hello? I mean… um… good morning, Boss." McGee started.

"I wouldn't exactly call it a 'good morning', McGee. What is it?"

"Nothing too much, Boss, and I don't mean to disturb you, but there are several unidentified packages on my desk, all addressed to me. I didn't know if they had been cleared by security or not. You, uh, wouldn't happen to know anything about them by chance, would you? I don't know if I should open them or not. If on the off chance one of them contains a bomb, I don't want to put you or the team, or all of NCIS in danger. Heck, I don't want to put anyone in danger by opening them! What should I do, Boss?"

"Do you know anything about those packages, McGee? I don't. You said that they were on your desk. If those packages contained a bomb, then they would still be in the mail room, not on your desk. And only _certain_ people in NCIS know which desk you work at, so the packages aren't a threat. That was quick, smart thinking on your behalf for the safety everyone at the Agency, including me and the rest of the team. Good job, Tim, good job. Is there anything particularly special about today that would be a motive for someone to leave random packages addressed to you on your desk?" Gibbs asked.

McGee thought that he could hear the slightest hint of muffled laughter on the other line.

"Thanks, Boss. I didn't want to put anyone in danger, that's all. I have no idea why there are several boxes on my desk. This had better not be one of Tony's pranks! But this seems way too complicated for Tony to think of. Let me see, as for today… there's nothing special about today, Boss. Nothing that I can think of… wait… today just happens to be my birthday, but I don't think that that's of any importance. Why?"

"Think, McGee, think! Use that large brain of yours! So today happens to be your birthday, and there just so happens to be several packages on your desk. What do you think that means?" Gibbs asked sarcastically.

McGee thought for a moment. Had someone really left presents for him on his desk?

"I get it now, thanks Boss. I, uh, I'm not disturbing you, am I?"

"No McGee, you aren't."

"Oh, okay. That's a relief. By the way, neither Tony nor Ziva are in the office yet, and I don't know where they are. Speaking of, where are you, Boss?"

"I'm on my way, McGee. DiNozzo and David should be joining you shortly. Is there anything else?"

"No Boss, that's all. Thanks for helping me think this through."

"There's no need to be thanking me, McGee. I shouldn't have to do that again. Now get to work. If I were you, I would open the navy blue package first."

Before McGee could respond, Gibbs hung up.

"_Well…that was… interesting, for lack of better adjectives. Note to self- remember to call Gibbs whenever strange and unusual packages present themselves on your desk."_

McGee set down his backpack and plopped down in his office chair.

"_Gibbs suggested that I should open the navy blue present first…I don't see any harm in doing so. What could possibly be inside?"_

Unbeknownst to McGee, Gibbs was down in Abby's lab with the rest of the team, watching with amusement the live feed from the security camera as Tim opened his first present.

"Aww! Wasn't that sweet?" Abby cooed, immediately after Gibbs hung up on the phone.

"What was 'sweet', Abby?" Tony asked, watching over her shoulder as McGee threw away the wrapping paper and was trying to open the box.

"I thought it was sweet that Timmy was thinking about our safety first before he even considered opening his presents! What do you think, Ziva?"

"I could not agree with you more, Abby. That is just like Tim to put others' safety above his own. And it shows what a selfless and thoughtful person he is, but I think that everyone here already knows that."

Gibbs grunted and nodded his head in agreement.

"What about you? What do you think, Tony?" Abby asked.

"I have to agree with what you just said, Ziva, but we can reflect on Tim's personality later. He's about to open his first present! Everyone be quiet!"

"Abigail, can you enlarge the video a tad more, please? I'm afraid that my vision isn't working as well as yours is, even with my spectacles on," Ducky interrupted.

"Sure thing, Ducky! Hang on just one moment please… aha! There you go! Is that any better?"

"Yes, that is much better, thank you. Now… let's watch Timothy's reaction."

There was silence as everyone eagerly waited to see McGee's reaction as he opened his first present.

**END CHAPTER 1**

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_**Thank you for reading! Please feel free to leave a review, if you want to. I love reading them! Reviews make me happy. :)**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter 2! :D**

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Chapter 2

The first Gift

Back in the Bullpen…

McGee had finally finished tearing off the blue wrapping paper as neatly as he possibly could. When he finished, he found himself staring at a plain cardboard box that was taped around the edges. He paused only for a moment, to retrieve his scissors, and proceeded to cut through the tape. Finally, he was able to open the box. He stared at what was inside.

Inside at the bottom of the box were 2 brand new rolls of film for his typewriter, amongst an unopened container full of a rich, black ink. All three objects were resting on top of a book, but McGee couldn't quite make out the title yet.

With a smile he carefully removed the ink and rolls of film and set them aside on his desk. As he lifted the book from out of the box, he couldn't help but laugh out loud when he read the title. It was a hardback copy of his novel, "Deep Six", written by the one and only "Thom E. Gemcity," aka himself. _"I might as well have said 'Written by Timothy McGee.'"_

When he flipped the cover open, he was surprised to see that everyone on the team- including Palmer, Gibbs, Tony _and_ Ziva- had written a nice comment or two, praising him on his writing style or his personality and attitude. McGee was surprised as he read their comments; he truly thought that they didn't like his book, based off of all the questions, jokes, and all forms of criticism he had received from them for writing a book with fictional characters based off of them.

McGee enjoyed reading their praise, and was immensely relieved to realize that his team members truly did appreciate what he wrote about them. Ziva was "_flattered_", Tony was "_somewhat honored_", Ducky was "_truly impressed_," and according to him "_J.M Barrie couldn't have written any better_". Abby had left a comment overflowing with compliments, but then again, that was Abby. Palmer mentioned that he was hoping McGee would write another novel again soon, and Gibbs even wrote, "_You did a good job, Tim_."

McGee didn't know what to say. Reading all of their comments made him feel strangely proud, yet thankful. He was grateful for their kind words as he read through them, envisioning them standing right in front of him and telling him in person. All of their comments stood out, but he thought that Gibbs' comment stood the most. "_You did a good job, Tim_" he read it again. His boss had cared enough to read his novel, and then tell him what a good job he had done. Gibbs had even called him by his first name! That alone made his day. As he read through his friends' comments once more, he was unaware that he was being watched from Abby's lab down below.

In the lab…

"Do you think he likes it? Do you think he likes the book? Do you think he liked reading our comments? What if he doesn't like our gift? What if he thinks it's an insult? What if… what if he-" Abby started to hyperventilate

"I am certain that Tim likes our gift, Abby." Ziva said.

"I know he does, Ziva. I mean, I suspect that after reading all of those compliments, coming from us after we gave him such a hard time about that book of his… he must be glad to know that we appreciate the fact that he found us to be a source of inspiration for his characters, and that we truly did enjoy reading his book." Tony stated.

"You have to admit, guys, that Tim is quite a talented writer," Palmer chimed in.

"Yes, it seems to me that our young Timothy is a quite the talented young writer indeed." said Ducky, who was wiping his spectacles clean with a white satin cloth. After he finished cleansing them from any stains, he put them back on and fiddled with them some more as he tried to see the screen clearly.

Gibbs just nodded his head.

"Shh! Everyone be quiet! He's opening another gift! Ducky, I think he's opening yours!"

Everyone in the lab stopped talking at once and turned to watch the screen.

Back upstairs…

McGee smiled and closed the cover of his signed book, which was now one of his most cherished possessions, and gently set it on his desk, next to the new rolls of film and ink.

"Thanks, you guys." He whispered. "This means more to me than you can believe."

**END CHAPTER 2**

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**Reviews? :D I'm sending anyone who reviews an imaginary GIANT chocolate chip cookie.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's Chapter 3! :)**

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Chapter 3

Ducky's Gift, Tony's chatter

McGee gently put his cherished gifts off to the side of his desk, then moved back to the pile of presents and selected an odd-shaped present that was wrapped in different shades of blue, white, and green striped wrapping paper.

McGee had no idea what the present was going to be. As he considered multiple ideas, he became more and more confused. A look of confusion adorned his face.

Down in the lab…

"Can you see his face? That expression is priceless!" Tony yelled.

"Poor chap. He must be so confused right now. I must admit that if I didn't know what I wrapped, I would have no clue what would be waiting for me inside." Ducky said. "Perhaps if I had placed it in a box and wrapped the box instead…"

"It doesn't matter, Duck. I know that Tim will appreciate your gift anyway. Focus on watching for right now, think about the wrapping later." Gibbs said.

Gibbs could hardly hear himself speak, through the noise of Tony's incessant and loud chatter in the background.

"DiNozzo!" he yelled.

"What? What did I do wrong?" Tony asked, trying to put on his best innocent face. He failed epically. He couldn't hide his smirk.

"Stop talking. You're being a distraction to everyone!" Gibbs warned.

"Yeah, Tony, try to stop talking if you even can. You must be as quiet as a rat. Knowing you, though, that's asking for the impossible." Ziva chided.

"Ha, ha. Very funny, Ziva! Not. Since when did you become a stand up comedian? Oh, and for the record, it's 'as quiet as a mouse', not 'quiet as a rat'."

**Thwack!**

"Ow, that was uncalled for, Boss!" Tony complained. Ziva just smirked.

"That was perfectly called for, DiNozzo. Now shut up and be quiet, and let us watch McGee open Ducky's present in peace!" Gibbs snapped.

"Yeah Tony, box it, and let us watch McGee in peace." Ziva said, jokingly. She was enjoying this opportunity to give Tony a hard time.

"Do you have any idea how wrong that just sounded? Geez, Ziva! That's the second saying you've butchered in less than a minute! It's 'can it', not 'box it'! You know, you really should…"

Several cries of "Shhh!" and the loud resonating sound of "**Thwack!**" could be heard together at once.

"Tony! Stop being such a nuisance and be quiet! Please!" Abby yelled from her seat up front.

"DiNozzo."

"Yes, Boss?" Tony asked hesitantly, afraid of what was going to come.

"Do yourself a favor, and shut up before I get the Duck tape. That's an order. Got it?"

"Yes, Boss. I'm shutting up now."

"Good," Gibbs said.

"Yeah, Tony. You must stop being such a nuisance." Ziva smirked and told Tony.

"Oh, be quiet…" he grumbled.

Upstairs…

McGee took his time and slowly unwrapped his newest gift. When all of the wrapping paper had been torn away, he was left holding several old records, all in pristine condition, and a very nice set of ballpoint and fountain pens.

"_These would be from Ducky. That was very nice thing of him to do. He didn't have to give me these! I'll have to remember to give him a very nice, detailed "Thank you". How did he know that I like listening to old records? I'll have to ask him that the next time I see him."_

"You have my sincere thanks, Ducky." Tim said.

In the lab, Abby was reading Tim's lips so that everyone could understand what he was saying.

"He says… 'You have my sincere thanks, Ducky'. Wow. We're not even up there, and he's still thanking us!"

"Yes, I know my dear. That is exactly what he would do."

"Of course it is! Timmy's such a nice guy. He has good manners, unlike _other_ people I know..." Abby paused for a minute and glared at Tony. Unfortunately, Tony didn't catch the drift, but Ziva and Palmer did. Ziva started chuckling and Palmer managed to crack a smile.

"Oh, he's opening my present next! Come on, you guys! I've gotta see this!" Abby exclaimed.

Abby couldn't wait to see Tim's reaction as he opened her gift. _That_ was going to be amusing.

**END CHAPTER 3**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here is Chapter 4! Enjoy, fellow readers!**

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Chapter 4

Abby's Gift and poems

Upstairs at McGee's desk…

McGee placed his records and pens next to his novel and typewriter supplies. Then he reached over and grabbed a big, bright cherry red colored box that was covered with little black paper skulls and chains.

"_This has got to be from Abby,"_ he surmised. _"I can't think of anyone else who would give me a bright-red wrapped present with black skulls and chains attached."_

When he had finished taking the decorative wrapping paper off of the present, he opened the cardboard flaps carefully and then peeked inside.

Inside was a large box generously filled with uniquely assorted candies- McGee chuckled to himself when he saw what they looked like. Half of the candies themselves were made of a rich white chocolate, shaped like miniature skulls, there were some marzipan candies shaped into the form of miniature cupcakes that had been drizzled with dark and white chocolate, and there were various truffles, some with dark red cherries on the inside.

Attached to the box of candies was a sticky note. McGee pulled it off and read what it said:

"_This box of candies has been addressed to the one and only Timothy McGee! (Not you Tony! If you're reading this note, then you shouldn't be! These are Timmy's candies, not yours. Bad Tony! Bad Tony! Go eat someone else's candies.) Anyways, Timmy, if you're reading this note, then please enjoy eating these candies with pleasure! I looked in stores everywhere and couldn't find anything sugary or sweet enough that could compare to how sweet you are! So I hope that these will suffice!_

_~ Abby_

_P.S.- Oh, and I almost forgot the most important thing of all- HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Timmy!_

When McGee finished reading the sticky note, he found himself reading it once more. He was flattered when Abby mentioned that she thought that he was sweeter than sugar. Just the thought made him blush. And he was looking forward to eating the sugary delicacies that were sitting right in front of him. He briefly examined the design of the cupcake shaped candies and couldn't help but laugh out loud when he saw them up close. It seemed that Abby hadn't forgotten about the whole 'Cupcake Incident' quite yet. At least she was teasing him about it instead of giving him a really hard time.

"Thank you Abby, I can't wait to try them and share them with you. I know from experience, however, that you just as nice and sweet, if not sweeter than these candies. Do you know the poem, "What little girls are made of"? I think you fit that description perfectly."

"_And that poem gives me an idea…"_ Tim thought, then took out a plain white sheet of paper and a ballpoint pen from the set of pens the team had given him. He quickly started jotting down words and thoughts that came into mind, then arranged them into a poem. When he had finished writing, he sat back in his chair and read his poem aloud, unaware that he was being watched from down below.

To the one and only,

_Abby Sciuto_

By Timothy McGee

"Skulls and smiles,

Friendship for miles.

Science and spunk.

And a strong dose of funk.

Darker colors and white lab coats,

Heavy metal rock music notes.

Kindness and colorful,

And all sorts of wonderful.

Humor and chains,

Beautiful looks and an ingenious brain.

That is what Abby Sciuto is made of."

Timothy McGee was pleased with his work, but after he finished reading it aloud to himself, he put it in one of his desk drawers, where he kept several of his more personal items. He would feel somewhat embarrassed if Tony should stumble upon his poem and read it out loud to the rest of the team. He was totally unaware that Abby was doing exactly that, but she was reading his lips instead of the paper.

Down in the lab…

"… That is what Abby Sciuto is made of." Abby read to herself mentally, absolutely beaming with happiness.

She had started out reading McGee's lips out loud, but after she read his first few words, she stopped reading to the rest of the team and continued reading to herself instead.

"What did he say? What did Probie say?" Tony asked eagerly.

"McGee said 'thank you' for the gift. Sorry Tony, but it's personal for me. In a good way," Abby clarified.

"Do you know what Tim was writing?" Ziva asked, already suspecting that McGee had written a personal 'thank you' to Abby, perhaps in the form of a poem, like the one he had given to her on her birthday as a personal 'thank you' for her friendship.

"No, sadly, I don't." Abby replied.

Ziva's suspicions were confirmed.

The team continued to watch the screen as McGee prepared to open Tony's present.


	5. Chapter 5

_I forgot to ask, is anyone watching the Olympics right now? I have to say that my favorite highlight is the American swimmer Lochte beating Michael Phelps, and the American Women's Gymnast Team. I can't believe how young those girls are! It's incredible! Anyways, Enjoy!_

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Chapter 5

Tony's gift

Upastairs…

McGee opened a smaller present wrapped in blue and gold paper. Inside, he found several brand new computer games, including the newest version of "The Lord of the Rings" and "World of Elf Lords! Challenger's Quest". Tony left a small note on the first computer game's cover. It read, in scribbled handwriting:

_Hey Probie! Or should I call you "ElfLord? How're ya doing? Hope that you enjoy playing these games, when you get the chance. Just make sure that you don't get so caught up in playing them that you're late to work! I won't be able to protect you from Gibbs' fury then! Happy Birthday, Probie!_

_~The Great Tony DiNozzo, aka Tony DiNozzo the Great._

"I thank thee, your royal so-called highness, 'Tony DiNozzo of Greatness'.

McGee chuckled to himself when he read Tony's note. If Gibbs had been with him in the Bullpen and read how Tony signed off, he would have given him the usual Gibbs slap on the back of his head. Too bad Gibbs wasn't in the office yet. Speaking of Gibbs, where was he anyways? Hadn't he said that he would arrive in the office soon?

"_Never mind. I'll finish opening my presents first, and if Gibbs still isn't here by the time I'm finished, I'll give him a call. Right now I'm going to open that gift bag. If I had to hazard a guess, then I'll guess that it is from my friend Jimmy. Let's take a look and see…"_

In the lab…

"'Tony DiNozzo of Greatness'?" Ziva asked quizzically, actually stating her question. She was frowning slightly, but while she was frowning, she couldn't help but smile.

Gibbs raised one eyebrow, and smirked. It was typical of Tony to do something like that.

"What? I have no idea what he's talking about! Honest! I swear! I didn't sign my name like that!" Tony yelled in his defense.

"Oh? Then just how exactly did you sign your name, Tony? Would you care to tell us all? You'd better not be lying, because don't think for an instant that I won't hesitate to run a polygraph test! I have the machine here in my lab, Tony. Ya got that?" Abby asked.

"Alright, alright, fine! You don't need to run a polygraph test on me, Abby. I signed my name as '_The Great Tony DiNozzo'_, that's all. Where's the harm in doing that?"

"There's no harm in writing that, Tony. I should have _known_ that you would write something like that." Ziva said.

"Guys, um… excuse me for interrupting your conversation, but would you mind? Tim's opening my present right now," Palmer interrupted.

"Oh. He is? Okay then. I'll shut up for now, Palmer, for your sake."

"You'll be doing us all a favor," Ziva added, staring at Tony.

Tony turned at her and scowled.

"Ha ha. That was not nice, Ziva. Not nice at all!"

"DiNozzo…" Gibbs warned.

"Shutting up now, Boss! I won't talk anymore! I promise!" Tony surrendered in defense.

"Wise decision. Now be quiet and watch." Gibbs replied.

Tony nodded his head and stared at the screen.

Palmer sat down in a nearby chair and watched the screen as well, worried what his friend would think of his gift.

**END CHAPTER 5**


	6. Chapter 6

_I'm watching the American Women's gymnastics team right now. Ah! It's so intense! Here's chapter 6! :D_

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Chapter 6

Jimmy's gift and butchered quotes

Upstairs… once again…

McGee patiently tossed out the tissue paper that was in the pale green gift bag. He stopped and read the card before looking inside at his present. On the front of the card was a cartoon picture of Snoopy, smiling with a goofy smile, holding several brightly colored balloons, and tipping his hat at the reader. McGee smiled, then opened the card and read the message inside. The greeting read:

"**Happy Birthday! Hope you have a one-of-a-kind birthday!**"

Below the greeting, Jimmy Palmer had written a quick and meaningful note.

"_Happy Birthday, Tim! I just wanted to say thank you very much for the tickets to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra concert that you gave to me and Breena. We had a fantastic time, thanks to you. And most importantly of all, thanks for being my friend. I'm glad to know that if I ever need some help with Gibbs or life in general, you'll be there for me. And if you ever need a fellow nerdy guy friend to talk to, feel free to come down and visit Ducky and I in Autopsy! Thanks again, and Happy Birthday!"_

_~Jimmy Palmer_

McGee smiled, once again. The notes that his friends had written and given to him meant the world to him. He was surrounded by friends, and he knew it. Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, Abby, Ducky and Jimmy were no longer just colleagues. They were his friends _and_ his family, too.

"You're welcome, Jimmy. Anytime you want to go to a concert with Breena, just let me know. It seems like Thom E. Gemcity can get tickets to practically any concert in the East Coast, nowadays. And I hope you and Ducky know that I love visiting you guys down in Autopsy! It's always a treat to be able to go down and spend time with you guys. And thanks. I think I'll open your gift now," McGee said.

After he finished talking, McGee opened the gift bag and looked inside. Reaching in, he slowly took out three CD's with different John Williams' music soundtracks on each. The first CD contained the themes from all of the Star Wars movies, and the second CD contained themes from Harry Potter. The third CD was filled with various pieces of music from Indiana Jones, War Horse, E.T, and several other songs that John Williams had composed.

"Awesome!" McGee yelled out, unable to contain his excitement. "Jimmy, you gave me the music tracks for _Star Wars_! How'd you know that I like John Williams music so much? He's my favorite composer of all times. How'd you know that?"

McGee stared down again at the three brand new CD's in his hands. He couldn't wait to start listening to them when he got home. Heck, maybe he could even play one in the office, just for the fun of it until Gibbs or Tony arrived.

"This is so cool. Thank you sooo much, Jimmy! You have no idea how much this means to me." McGee yelled out loud, composing himself after he blurted out his first sentence. He was slightly embarrassed for having yelled to no one in particular, in the office of all places, but that didn't matter. He was alone, and he was very excited.

Down in Abby's lab…

Jimmy Palmer blushed, after seeing McGee's reaction to his gift. In all honesty, he'd known that McGee was a John Williams fan for quite some time, now. At first, he was afraid that Tim didn't like his gift, but he was instantly relieved to know that Tim greatly appreciated his gift.

"You got him _John Williams_ music? Wow, why am I not surprised? You know what they say: 'Geek minds think alike.' Get it? Do you get it? Instead of 'Great minds think alike,' it's 'Geek minds think alike'. Score one for Tony DiNozzo! And score one for the Autopsy Gremlin as well! That was a good idea, Jimmy. You did well." Tony turned to praise the young ME and slapped him on the back.

Tony's praise only made Jimmy blush even more.

Ducky noticed that his lab assistant was blushing, after seeing McGee's reaction and after hearing Tony's praise. He decided to do something about it.

"There's nothing for you to be embarrassed about, lad. That was good thinking on your part. Based off of Tim's reaction, I think that he'd more than agree with me. He seems to be incredibly thrilled with those new CD's you gave him," Ducky said.

As an afterthought, the elderly ME added,

"Tony is right, by the way. I may beg to differ with his newest butchered quote, but that is a slightly different matter that we can discuss later."

"Thanks, Dr. Mallard," Palmer said, silently sending Ducky a look that clearly read "Thanks for your reassurance."

Ducky noticed and nodded his head once, smiling. Then he focused his attention on the screen in front of him again.

When Palmer and Ducky had finished talking with each other, there was silence in Abby's lab, due to the fact that McGee had already started to open the second to last of his presents.

**END CHAPTER 6**


	7. Chapter 7

_OMG OMG OMG! The American girls' team won the Gymnastics! Wahooo! I flet so bad for the Russian team though..._

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Chapter 7

Ziva's gift and previous memories

McGee studied the present in his hands.

It was a very small box, rectangular in shape, and wrapped in a deep silver colored paper. There was a sticker on top of the box, with McGee's name written on it in black Sharpie ink. A warning was printed beneath McGee's name in the same ink that read "Caution! Fragile Package! Handle with care!"

McGee held the box in front of him and carefully proceeded to cut the ribbon on the box and tear the wrapping paper off. When all of the paper had been removed, McGee was left holding a wooden mahogany box. Slowly, almost afraid to look inside, McGee opened the lid.

Inside was a knife that had been tucked away in a leather knife sheath. Hesitantly, McGee took the knife out of its sheath. It was a wooden-handled hunting knife with a 6-inch blade, gleaming in the light. The entire knife measured 9 inches in total. McGee gasped slightly when he saw it. Never before had he seen such a classic, intricate and beautiful design for a hunting knife. The handle was a mix of a gold-plated steel and dark amber mahogany wood. The hand-hold of the knife was made of mahogany wood, with the finger grips carved and sanded into it. The wood was encased in a moisture-retardant, so the wood was protected from any sort of liquid. The hand-hold had metal on both ends, so that the base of the handle was attached to the blade itself, and the metal and the end of the handle provided extra strength and durability. The blade was a quarter of an inch thick in diameter, and made of extra-strength stainless steel.

McGee looked at the knife in awe and wonder. Taking it out of its case and holding it up to his eyelevel, he could see his own reflection in it. The blade was sharp, sharp enough to cut through the toughest of substances without any resistance at all. McGee handled the hunting knife for several more minutes, wondering who by chance had been kind enough to give him such a practical, yet much-needed and beautiful gift.

"_It has to be Ziva,"_ he thought. He couldn't think of anyone else on the team who would give him such unique and beautiful gift. No one else aside from Ziva had known about his need for a close-contact fighting weapon. He made the mistake of not bringing a knife with him when he went to Somalia with Gibbs and Tony to avenge Ziva's death. Ever since, he had been searching for a good-quality, weather proof, sturdy and durable knife that was in pristine condition. He hadn't had much luck. Well now, he had finally found what he was searching for.

McGee was about to place the knife back in its sheath when he noticed a loose piece of paper was resting inside. Putting his knife on his desk, he reached in and pulled the piece of paper out of the leather sheath. As he unfolded the paper, he came to realize that it was a note for him, probably from the person who gave him the gift. He smirked when he recognized Ziva's handwriting. The note was short and simple, but it clearly expressed what Ziva wanted to say. It read:

_Dear Tim,_

_First of all, I would like to wish you a Happy Day of Birth._

McGee laughed as he read the first sentence, then continued to read the rest of the note.

_This is one of the few knives that my Father gave to me when I went on my first missions for Mossad. It has served me well, many times, and on countless occasions it has saved my life. As you Americans would say, it has been a real 'life-saver'. I no longer have any need for it, and seeing as I am not using it anymore, I thought you have a greater need for it than I do. Treat it well, as I know you will, with proper care and respect, and I know that it will serve you well._

_~Ziva_

"Wow." That was the first thought that came into McGee's mind as he finished reading Ziva's note.

"_That was really generous of her to do. This knife must mean a lot to her if it was given to her from her father, on her first mission no less! Ziva trusts me to take good care of this knife and I won't let her down. I don't want to lose her trust."_

"Ziva, I will say thanks as soon as I see you in the Bullpen this morning. You have no idea how much this gift means to me. I promise that I will treat it with the care and respect it deserves. Hopefully I will have a thank you note to give to you the next time I see you."

"_I am looking forwards to saying 'thank you' to each and every member on the team now,"_ McGee thought.

"_Now, let's see what's in store for me in that last present…"_

Downstairs in Abby's lab, Ziva watched Tim with fondness. She knew that she had made the right decision by giving him her knife. He desperately needed it, and she knew that she could trust him to take good care of it. He would carry it with him each day with honor and respect.

"That knife is quite a beauty, Ziva," Ducky said.

"You got that right, Duck," Tony muttered after letting out a long whistle at the sight of Tim's new knife. "Indeed it is."

"Glad you gave it to him, Ziver. It's about time he carries a close combat weapon with him to and from work each day," Gibbs added.

"I was glad to give it to him, Gibbs. He needed it, and I had no use for it anymore. That, and that particular knife brings up…some… unpleasant memories," Ziva replied, hoping Gibbs would understand what she was getting at. Her relationship with her father, Eli David, the head of Mossad, wasn't very close. It was rocky, at best. He showed no concern at all for his youngest daughter. Every person on Team Gibbs hated or despised the man.

Gibbs nodded his head in understanding. Then he resumed watching the video feed from the Bullpen. McGee attached his knife (in its sheath) to his belt, easily in range if he needed to grab for it quickly.

At the moment, he was sitting in his chair again, reaching for his last and final present.

It was a present from Gibbs.

**END CHAPTER 7**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Unexpected trouble?

McGee looked at the present in his hands. It was from Gibbs. To be honest, he wasn't expecting a gift of any sort from his boss. It seemed kind of… awkward… but he didn't mind too much. He was trying to develop a closer, more personal relationship with his boss anyways, like the friendship he had developed with Tony and Ziva.

The present wasn't even wrapped; it was a cardboard box that had been taped around the edges and flaps, somewhat messily, in an effort to make sure that whatever was inside stayed inside.

McGee took out his Swiss army knife and cut through the tape with one of the blades. He had no clue what to expect as he opened the first flaps. Was it going to be some sort of a book? A movie perhaps? Maybe there was only a note waiting for him inside. Whatever it was, McGee was a little nervous to find out.

He opened the last two cardboard flaps. Now came the moment of truth. No turning back now, whatever the gift may be. Just as he was about to look inside, his work cell phone started ringing. McGee stopped himself from looking and reached for his phone. He brought it up and read the caller ID- it was Gibbs.

McGee answered his phone without hesitation. He hoped that Gibbs was calling to let him know that he was going to be even later to work than he had originally planned, or that Tony and Ziva would joining him in the Bullpen any minute now, but he didn't know.

"Hello, Boss?"

"McGee! Tim! I need you to get down here ASAP!" Gibbs yelled through the phone. He sounded urgent.

Tim winced and shook his head briefly, holding the phone away from his ear, then brought it back to his ear, wishing that Gibbs wouldn't talk, or in his case, _yell_ so loud.

"McGee! Are you still with me? Tim! Answer me, quick!"

"Y-yes, Boss, I'm still here. What's wrong? Tony and Ziva aren't hurt, are they? You didn't get into a car crash, did you? What's going on?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you! It's urgent! Listen up; I need you to go down to Abby's lab RIGHT NOW! Hurry! We need your help, McGee. This is serious! No time for hesitation or any more questions! It's a matter of life and death!" Gibbs yelled.

"I'm on my way now, Boss." McGee said in a surprisingly icy calm voice. Gibbs could hear the obedience, fear, and determination in his voice. He hung up before Gibbs had a chance to respond.

Down in the lab…

"Oh, poor Timmy! What's he going to think happened to us now?" Abby wailed.

"Shh, Abbs, Tim will be fine. That was the only way I could get him to come down here without suspecting anything, remember? After we turn on the lights again and yell 'Surprise!' like you suggested, he'll realize what happened." Gibbs said.

"Gibbs is right, Abby. Tim may be fearing the worst right now, but he won't have to worry anymore once he comes downstairs and sees the surprise party we are throwing for him." Ziva added.

"Do you think he bought it?" Tony asked, slightly concerned that all of his hard work would be for nothing.

"I know he bought it, DiNozzo. From what I heard, it sounded like he was ready to run in here any minute. Everyone listen. If any one of you are in danger, call me first, then Tim if you possibly can. As we all already know, that man has the heart of a lion, and is willing to put his life on the line for each and every one of us. Remember that." Gibbs continued.

There was a chorus of "Yes sir", "I know", and "We will."

Gibbs nodded his head in approval. He turned to Abby.

"Abbs, is everything ready?"

"Yes, Gibbs! The streamers are up, the cake is ready to eat, and the lights will turn out in 3…2…1… There! All done! Ooh, I'm so excited, Gibbs! I can't wait to see Timmy's reaction!" she squealed.

"Good. Alright, get into your places, everyone!" Gibbs barked.

There was some scuffling around the room, and then everything was silent. The clock was ticking as everyone eagerly awaited Tim's arrival.

**END CHAPTER 8**

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**What'd you guys think?**


	9. Chapter 9

_Okay, here we go- second to last chapter! hope everyone enjoys! :D_

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Chapter 9

More than one surprise

Back upstairs…

McGee went into a mental state of shock when he heard Gibbs mention 'a matter of life and death' and 'Abby's lab'. Those two, simple little phrases did not belong with each other. His head was racing. Where was Abby? Was she down in her lab? Had she been hurt? What exactly was going on? There was no time to think about that now. Abby could be hurt, or even worse…

McGee quickly pushed that last thought away from his mind. "_Focus on the here and now,_" he thought.

Gibbs needed him. He had called him to ask for help, which was something that he had never done before. And he sounded so stressed, so urgent on the phone… something was definitely not right, and McGee wasn't going to wait to find out what it was. Deep, deep down inside, he was scared out of his wits. He was scared for Abby, and he was scared for his Boss. But he needed to stay calm and collected, to stay in control. He needed to stay calm if he wanted to save the lives of his friends. Were they in trouble?

"_No, duh, you idiot! Of course they're in trouble! Why else would Gibbs call me and ask for my help? Geez, where are Tony and Ziva when you need them? They'd know what to do in a situation like this. I wish I could call them, but I can't. That would take too much time. Just stay calm, McGee. Calm and focused. Come on, Tim, you can do this! Focus on what's happening right now! You can focus on Tony and Ziva later!"_

During the time that McGee had been thinking and talking to himself, he rushed up and out of his chair, dropping the cardboard box on the ground. He didn't care about that now. Then he grabbed his gun from his desk, cocked it, and checked the magazine to make sure that it was fully loaded. It was. With his gun in hand, he leapt from the spot he was standing at currently and swiftly jogged towards the stairs. Without wasting a single second more, he forcefully pushed the doors open and started running down the stairs two at a time. There was no time to take the elevator. And this way, he wouldn't have to worry about alerting anyone in Abby's lab to his presence.

His right hand subconsciously reached for the knife he now carried with him on his belt. Boy, was he more relieved than ever to have that knife now instead of later. Just in case he ran out of bullets, or if he had to fight aggressively hand-to-hand, he had a weapon that he could pull out at any time and strike with, with deadly force. He hoped that he wouldn't have to do that, though.

By this time, he had reached the bottom of the stairwell and was ready to enter Abby's lab. He kicked the doors open, then ran as quickly and quietly as he could. Finally, he arrived at Abby's lab. Glancing in, McGee saw that the entire lab was dark. The lights were turned off, and there wasn't a singles sound to be heard. This was it. Now was the time for action.

Back against the wall, McGee turned around and kicked the lab door open. He raised his gun straight in front of himself and yelled,

"NCIS! Special Agent Timothy McGee! Drop your weapons and freeze!"

That was when the unexpected happened. The lights turned on, and before McGee could register what was happening, several people jumped out in front of him and yelled "SURPRISE! Happy Birthday, McGee!"

McGee blinked his eyes in shock, and (you guessed it!) surprise.

Standing in front of him was the entire team. Gibbs, Ducky, Ziva, Tony, Palmer, and Abby. They were all there, smiling brightly, looking at him expectantly, waiting for some sort of reaction.

McGee for the most part was speechless.

"Wha… how? Abby? Gibbs? You guys? What are you doing here? I thought that… I'm just so glad to see that you're alive. How'd you know that today is my birthday? Wait, what in the world is going on here?" he asked, lowering his gun and turning the safety back on.

"Happy Birthday, Timmy! It is your birthday, after all! We thought that we should set up a surprise party for you, and then surprise you! Well? What do you think? Were you surprised?" Abby asked as she came rushing up to him, hugging him before she bombarded him with her questions.

"Yeah… I-I'm speechless Abbs. And this is definitely a surprise, a pleasant surprise for me. What are you guys all doing down here? Waiting for me? Wait, Boss, have you been in Abby's lab all along? How long have you been here? Don't tell me that you've been in here the whole entire time, since I entered the office."

"Yes, Tim, I've been here the entire time. I made sure that I was here earlier than you were. Everyone has been here since then, in fact."

"So, wait a second. You guys planned all of this? Just for me?" McGee asked, still incredulous.

"No, duh, Probie! We've been planning this party for over a month! And before you ask, yes, I do know when your birthday is. I've let it slip by for the last four years, but I vowed to myself that I wouldn't allow that to happen again this year. I have a question for you, now, before you ask another one. You're the person who's been leaving gifts on my desk anonymously, aren't you?" Tony asked, looking at McGee expectantly for an answer to his last question.

McGee was still a little in shock, and the adrenaline rush he felt earlier had just started to slow down.

"Um, yes, I am." McGee answered a little sheepishly. "I was wondering when you would figure that out."

Ziva smiled, and Abby started laughing out loud.

"Four years? It took you four years to figure out that 'Anonymous' was Timmy? Tony, sometimes you can be so stupid!" she teased gently, smirking at him.

"Gee, thanks Abby. Anyways, happy birthday, Probie! I'm so glad that you liked my gift!" Tony said, slapping McGee gently on his shoulder.

"Tony, are you kidding me?" McGee asked, apparently sternly.

Tony drew in a deep breath and turned to face McGee. Was it possible that McGee didn't like his gift after all? Tony remembered seeing the younger man's reaction in the Bullpen, but it could have been fake. McGee could've been acting, for all he knew, but he truly doubted that McGee was acting. Everybody knew that McGee couldn't tell a lie.

"It's alright, Tony. I'm just kidding. I loved it! And I can't wait to play the games on my computer at home! You should see how each level works. If you're lucky, you might be able to become a king on the fifth round…" McGee trailed off, suddenly stopping after he saw the look Tony was giving him.

"We're really happy that you can be down here celebrating with us, Tim." Ducky said, interrupting Tim's conversation about his new computer game.

McGee walked up to Ducky and embraced the elderly ME in a warm hug.

"Thanks, Ducky. I'm really happy to be able to celebrate down here with you guys also. And thank you for your gifts. You don't know how much I greatly appreciate them. How did you know that I like listening to old records?"

"Ah, that, I believe, is a long story that we can save for later. Believe me, lad. I do know." Ducky smiled, and there was a slight twinkle in his eyes. He looked to the rest of the group in the lab, and they immediately caught on. What happened in the lab was going to be their secret.

"Who wants cake?" Abby asked. She couldn't wait to eat a slice of the double German chocolate cake she had made.

"I would love a slice, please, thank you very much. Abby, did you make that cake yourself?" Tim asked.

In response, Abby said, "Why of course I did, silly! When I talked to 'myself', 'myself' told me that I should bake a cake instead of buying one. When I asked 'myself' why, she said 'Why should I go down to the store and buy a birthday cake when I can make one instead? So that's what I did. I hope that you like it,"

"I love it," McGee replied.

"I'll take a slice as well, Abby." Ziva chimed in. "Thank you."

"I can't wait to taste it! It looks great," Palmer said, and then added, "I'll have a slice as well, if that's alright."

"Abby, did you say 'cake'? Count me in!" Tony yelled. He was a sucker for cake, especially when it was a cake that Abby had made.

**END CHAPTER 9**


	10. Chapter 10

**Here is the epilogue! Hope everyone enjoys! :)**

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Chapter 10

Gibbs' gift, and memories made

After talking, chatting, saying thanks and exchanging hugs with every member on the team (with the exception of Gibbs), McGee felt a gentle tug on his shoulder and turned around to face Gibbs.

"I need to talk to you for a minute, McGee." Gibbs said.

"Sure, Boss! Give me just a sec. I need to find somewhere to set this down," McGee replied, placing his piece of cake on a nearby countertop.

"Follow me." Gibbs commanded.

"Where to?"

"Doesn't matter," Gibbs replied, walking out the lab doors with McGee following in his tracks.

After less than a minute's worth of walking, McGee found himself in the elevator with Gibbs. Gibbs pressed the button for the Bullpen floor, and after the elevator had started moving up, he pressed the emergency stop button.

"I need to talk to you, McGee."

"Okay, Boss. That's, um, fine with me. What's going on? I'm not in trouble, am I? If this is about hacking into the CIA from a couple of weeks back, then I apologize, but I wouldn't have been able to find the information you needed without doing that…"

"McGee, relax! You're not in trouble, and I don't care about the fact that you hacked into the CIA network. You have my permission to do that anytime you _need_ to. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Boss. Thanks. Continue?"

"I want to say thanks for visiting me in the basement a few weeks back. And thanks for listening. That was the best gift I had received all day. It isn't much, but I thought you might like it."

Gibbs reached into the far corner of the elevator and returned holding a cardboard box. He held it out to McGee. McGee took it into his own hands a little nervously, then slowly and deliberately opened the cardboard flaps. Inside was a beautiful and very detailed model sailing boat. It measured approximately a foot and a half long, 4 inches wide. It had been built from pieces of scrap wood, hand carved and sanded. The sail was pure white with a stripe of navy blue on the bottom, and the Navy symbol was imprinted in the middle. It was beautiful, or so McGee thought.

"Boss, I don't… I don't know what to say. It's beautiful. It's a masterpiece. Are you sure that you want me to have it?"

"Yes, Tim. I'm sure. I built it for you specifically, didn't you guess that? I thought that you might like it, based from what you told me about the sailboats you saw with your grandfather."

McGee was speechless, once again. He couldn't believe that his Boss, Gibbs, had taken the time to build such an intricate and beautiful ship for him, for his birthday no less. Gibbs continued to speak.

"You did a good job today, Tim. I want you to take the entire day off. Oh, and so you don't forget- the back door's always open, Tim, if you ever want to come in again. You don't just have to visit me on my birthday, you know!" Gibbs said, smirking with his last sentence.

"Thanks, Boss. For the boat and for everything else. This is one of the most meaningful days in my life. I will always remember today, never forget it. Thank you Boss, for giving me a happy birthday."

Gibbs just nodded his head, then pressed the button in the elevator for Abby's lab. When the elevator came to a stop, McGee walked out with Gibbs back into Abby's lab like nothing had ever happened, but anyone looking closely could see that something special had occurred.

McGee was smiling like never before. Here he was, in Abby's lab, surrounded by his friends, and family. He was surrounded by smiles, laughter, and love. Memories were being made. Every way he looked at it, the members on Team Gibbs were his friends and his family. Everyone had taken the time to remember his birthday, and each person had given him a gift of love. Ziva was in the corner with Tony, chatting and smiling; Ducky was busy telling Palmer and Abby one of his many stories. Palmer was listening intently while eating his second piece of cake, Abby was laughing, and Gibbs was standing off to the side, watching his team and smiling. And as for McGee? He was in the middle of everything, watching and listening to everyone, smiling the entire time. This was one of the best birthdays he'd eve had. Today was special, and he knew it.

The end.

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_Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read and/ or review my story. I hope to write another story soon! Oh, and a special "Happy Birthday, Jane!"_

_Sincerely,_

_~Optimisticat :D_


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